Rules of the Praetors
by Madrigal-in-training
Summary: Because in the end, Jason was a damn good Praetor. A series of related one-shots. Jason x Percy
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary: Because in the end, Jason was a damn good Praetor. A series of related one-shots. Jason x Percy**_

Chapter One

_**Rule #1: A Praetor must always observe his surroundings. One never knows when the most seemingly insignificant detail may change the tide of battle.**_

Jason's first observation was that Percy was a storm.

He was movement- fluid, swift, and merciless, like the water he commanded with such ease. He was a wellspring of emotion, the most turbulent of oceans to the gentlest of streams, and everyone around him was caught up in its' energy. As the other campers flocked to him- the handsome hero, a legend of half-bloods, an invulnerable son of Poseidon- Jason observed.

He saw that Percy was remarkably confident in the midst of battle, but became shy, almost skittish when surrounded by his many admirers.

He saw that Percy was very protective of his friends, and most especially Nico, who he seemed to have halfway adopted as a third younger brother.

He saw that Percy was friendly with both of his half-brothers, Tyson and Frank, and often encouraged them to reach ever greater heights in their training. In turn, Tyson idolised him and Frank usually went to Percy whenever he had a problem with anything (like Hazel).

He saw that Percy adored and despised his father in near-equal turns, but that when it came down to it- as it often did- he would do anything to help the godly parent he barely knew.

He saw that Percy was on great terms with the many sea creatures around Camp Halfblood. He would spend many an evening sitting at the bottom of the lake and asking the naiads how their day went.

He saw that Percy didn't look very much like his mother. Jet black hair, sea-green eyes, classical Greek bone structure… it wasn't very hard to mark him as Poseidon's son.

Jason was popular too, but unlike his sister, Thalia, or the famous Percy Jackson, he had learned to fade into the background. He could step away from the action and observe the proceedings with a calm eye. It was one of the hallmarks of his Praetorship, yet another sign that he was destined to be a hero. So Jason did what he had been born and bred to do, and stepped away.

Percy didn't have many friends. He was _friendly_ with a lot of people, but actual friends with few. Grover, Annabeth, Rachel, Nico, Thalia, Frank, Hazel… a surprisingly small, close-knit group. He was- also surprisingly- closest to Thalia and Nico. In the end, that may have been because they were all once candidates for the same Prophecy. That seemed to bring people closer for some inexplicable reason.

Or at least that's what Jason attributed his newfound understanding with Hazel to.

Gaea had been destroyed recently and they were at Camp Half-Blood, rebuilding because frankly the Second War had done a number on them. Finally someone- Jason wasn't sure who but it was probably Leo- decided that this was ridiculous, and they had been working for days, and who else wanted to have a beach party? This was not the first time the jokester son of Hephaestus had suggested this, but it was the first time anyone took it seriously.

In the Roman Camp, this suggestion would be considered ridiculous (which, Jason reflected, it was). Abandoning your post to through an impromptu party? Sure, if you wanted to get censured by anyone in the upper hierarchy.

But the Greeks were far more laidback about these kinds of things, as he had observed when everyone more or less put down their tools, dragged a few huge tables to the beach, set up a bonfire, and started a volleyball game. And these were the children of the Olympians?

"Jason!" he turned to find that one person, apparently, wasn't content to let him fade into the background, "Want to join my side for volleyball?"

He raised an eyebrow, attempting to convey his derision at the idea, but the older hero either tactfully ignored the warning or was incapable of deciphering facial expressions. Percy was smiling at him, bright sea green eyes expectant, as he posed the question.

"...I'd rather not," Jason replied, coolly.

"Come on! It'll be fun," the other boy pressed. Not waiting for an answer- and probably knowing that Jason would say no- he grabbed the blonde's wrist and half-led, half-dragged him to one of the forming groups. It was a sunny day, but Percy's skin was cold, as if he had just plunged it into a bucket of icy water. Unlike Jason's own scar-litter arm, his was smooth and pale, without a blemish.

Then Jason was distracted as he was pulled into the center, and Thalia grinned at him, and Frank tossed him a ball, and he slid into form and began to play. Than it was just movement, running and hitting and sliding across the sand, and Jason's attention flickered. But he was still a Praetor, so he still observed a few flashes of detail: Frank's expression of dismay, Annabeth's triumphant yell, the determined look on Piper's face, and Percy.

Because Percy was _everywhere, _crossing the field and directing the ball and occasionally looking back at his teammates with a competitive, baiting grin on his face. He was _fast_, and Jason was a little amazed, because was this what a real hero was supposed to be like?

"Heads up, Jason!"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Summary: Because in the end, Jason was a damn good Praetor. A series of related one-shots. Jason x Percy**_

Chapter Two

_**Rule #2: A Praetor should know the basics of field aid. Fighting one's enemy makes you a good soldier, healing one's allies makes you a greater one.**_

"Sorry about that, Jason!" Leo was apologising, over and over again, and the son of Jupiter found that more than a little annoying. "I didn't mean to hit the ball that hard… or aim for your head… or not-"

"It's fine," Jason said, patiently, "I didn't pay attention and it doesn't hurt anyway. Stop apologizing."

"Still I'd avoid taking any naps for a few hours," Thalia suggested, fingers gently carding through his hair and probing the area around his bruise. He winced as they strayed closer to the darkening flesh than he was entirely comfortable with, and she must have been watching his expression, because she quickly drew away.

"You guys should continue your game now," Jason suggested, simply sidestepping his sister's concern, and making his way to the side of the court, "I'll just head to the infirmary for some ice."

"I'll come with you," Percy volunteered, ignoring the protests of several of their teammates. The dark-haired boy stepped besides him and offered a smile, "I don't think you've ever been to our infirmary?"

Right after he'd asked that question, Jason realised, embarrassedly, that he actually didn't know where the infirmary was. He opted to give the older boy a nod, to which Percy looked pleasantly surprised. The son of Poseidon led the way there, offering and receiving greetings several times along the way and not trying to engage his younger counterpart in a conversation. Jason was thankful for this, as the bruise really _did_ hurt, and he didn't want to have to hold an annoying conversation at the time.

"Do you actually know what you're doing?" Percy's voice was only curious, not skeptical or amused, so Jason took the time to answer.

"All Praetors are offered basic first aid training after assuming their position," Jason explained, squeezing a dollop of cream on his hand and rubbing it against his forehead.

Percy looked surprised. "Really? They never offered that class to me after I took Praetorship."

Jason blinked at that reminder. He had forgotten that Reyna temporarily given his position to the other boy. Huh, he wasn't as irritated by that as he thought he would have been.

"You probably weren't a Praetor long enough," he suggested, "That, and we were having all those problems with Gaea."

Percy nodded in agreement, still thoughtful. "You missed a spot," he pointed out.

Jason moved his fingers over the rim of his forehead, and frowned when he couldn't find the subtle rise of bruised skin.

"Here, let me get it for you," Percy grabbed the ointment and placed some on his own fingers. Before Jason had a chance to protest, the dark-haired boy's hands had reached the right side of his head and pressed against inflamed flesh. The blonde stilled as callous-laden fingers- Percy was a brilliant swordsman, he remembered- ran over his skin. Percy's eyes were fastened to a spot just above Jason's sight, so he didn't see the startled expression on the younger boy's face.

He smelled of wild mint, Jason recognized, and salty sea breezes. It wasn't… unpleasant, but the boy still squirmed. Percy was in his personal space, it was discomforting, unsettling… why couldn't he finish quickly and move away?

"-should learn this," the boy was saying, as his fingers gently rubbed the ointment in, "I heal pretty quickly when I get in the water, but none of the others can do that. Well, except maybe Frank, since he's a descendant of Poseidon too. We should test that another time, since it's really helpful-"

Jason sighed. He should have demanded that Thalia come along with him instead.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Summary: Because in the end, Jason was a damn good Praetor. A series of related one-shots. Jason x Percy**_

Chapter Three

_**Rule #3: A Praetor should trust his subordinates and allies. There is only so much that a hero can accomplish alone. _**_

"Jason!" the call didn't startle him this time because Percy had been randomly dropping by to see him for no reason over the course of the week.

"Hello Percy," he was still wary of the older hero, because Percy was _powerful, _and if there was one thing he was always wary of, it was people with power, especially those like the son of Poseidon who seemed to never use their strength.

"I'm going to go pick up some supplies at Olympus," the dark-haired boy said in explanation, "I was wondering if you wanted to come along…?"

"I can't," Jason muttered, oddly reluctant as the older boy's face fell. He offered, "I promised to help Piper clear out her cabin's grounds."

"Actually Jason, I'll let you off the hook this time," his friend interrupted, looking between the two of them with an amused smile, "Leo can help me clear the grounds!"

"I can?" his other friend asked, staring at the daughter of Aphrodite in surprise.

"Yes, you can," Piper replied, firmly, offering the other two boys a bright smile. "In fact, we should get to work on that right away! Bye Jason, bye Percy!"

Then, in front of two bemused teen heroes, she grabbed a protesting Leo and dragged him away.

"I guess you're free to come, then?" Percy stated, satisfied. Jason simply stared.

"How exactly will we be getting there?" he asked, hesitantly.

"My pegasus, Blackjack, will be giving us a ride," Percy said, proudly. "He's right over there."

Jason followed the direction of the pointed finger to a majestic black horse hovering above the treeline of the forest. Powerful wings beat against gravity to keep the impressive animal aloft. Once Percy gestured for the horse- Blackjack- to come closer, it dived down until it landed right in front of them. In fascination, Jason stared at the sharp indents on the ground where Blackjack's hooves rested.

"Jason, this is Blackjack," Percy indicated the horse. Then he turned and… whinnied? Yes, a vaguely horse-like sound came from his mouth as he talked to the pegasus. Judging from the way Percy gestured, Jason assumed that he was being introduced.

Then Percy reached into his pockets and took out a handful of sugar cubes, which he offered to the horse. Blackjack clearly approved of the treat, as it didn't take very long for him to gobble it down.

It was probably then that Jason realized the obvious. "You can speak to horses," he pointed out, a little dumbly.

Percy looked at him oddly. "...Yeah," he said slowly, "Didn't you know that?" The horse gave a- questioning?- whinny.

"It talks back to you," Jason pointed out, once again, shocked.

"Yes, _he_ does," Percy agreed, "Are you okay with that?"

"...Why can't I have any cool powers?" Jason mourned, making the other boy unexpectedly burst into laughter. Jason observed that he had a very nice sort of laugh: cheerful, open, and infective.

"You can fly without a pegasus!" Percy exclaimed, sounding impressed and a little envious, "Not to mention your amazing electrical manipulation… and your swordsmanship isn't _that_ bad."

Jason raised an eyebrow, "Not that bad? I'll have you know, I'm one of the most talent fighters in the Legion, Captain Saltwater."

Percy merely raised an eyebrow in return. "You'll have to prove it to me someday, then."

"You didn't get enough of my style during the war?" he asked.

"I was a little busy focusing on the Titans trying to eat us," Percy remarked, mildly.

Blackjack suddenly interjected with a series of neighing sounds directed at Percy. Jason idly wondered what the horse had to say when he saw the dark-haired hero blush.

"We should probably get going now," Percy said, gracefully grabbing the end of the straddle and swinging himself on, "Come on."

Jason looked at the pegasus and felt an atypical emotion- fear- rise in him. Had Blackjack gotten bigger in the last few minutes.

"I think I'll stay at camp," Jason said, hesitantly, "I'm not entirely comfortable-"

"Are you afraid of horses?" Percy interrupted, concerned.

"No," Jason answered, gulping, "Heights, actually."

Percy stared at him. "But you're a son of Jupiter. And you can _fly_."

"I'm not afraid when I'm flying under my own power," Jason tried to explain, hoping that Blackjack wouldn't get offended, "I just don't feel comfortable relying on someone _else_ to keep me aloft."

Percy was silent, but then he reached out his hand and offered it to the blonde.

"It's something you'll have to face one day though," his voice was reassuring.

"Just not today," Jason hastened to add. Percy merely _looked_ at him. His eyes were a mixture of blue and green- just like the sea that was under his father's domain and warm with understanding.

"Take my hand and I promise you I'll never let go."

Jason reached out and grasped Percy's hand.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Summary: Because in the end, Jason was a damn good Praetor. A series of related one-shots. Jason x Percy**_

Chapter Four

_**Rule #4: A Praetor should keep only that which strengthens him. Like one would discard damaged clothing, so too should a leader discard emotions that hinder him from fulfilling his duties.**_

Jason was quick to regret joining Percy on a pegasus because apparently the boy and his pet only knew one speed for travel. _Fast._

As in fast enough to make the treeline become a blur to his sight. Fast enough that the rushing wind made it hard to breathe. Fast enough that Jason clutched at the older boy like a man possessed, determinedly refusing to scream.

Then Blackjack decided to dive.

"Aaahhh!" Jason screamed, the surroundings becoming mere blocks of color: reds and greens and greys interspersed with a lot of blue. To combat his disorientation, he pressed his face against Percy's shoulder blades, which had the additional benefit of keeping the piercing winds from ravaging his cheeks raw. Dimly he heard Percy give a whoop of joy, and then a sickening lurch was followed by a spray of water hitting the boys.

Thankfully, that was the only lurch as Blackjack quickly righted himself and took to the air with strong, steady strokes. Their pace slowed just a bit, but Jason refused to slacken his vice-like grip around Percy's back.

"Sorry about that," the voice made him move his face away and look up. Percy smiled crookedly down at him, looking more than a little sheepish.

"I forget that not everyone enjoys my crazy speeds," the son of Poseidon continued, one hand drawing through his hair awkwardly. The wind had ruffled his dark locks, making them messily stick out in a bunch of directions. Coupled with his glinting sea green eyes and wild grin, Percy held more than a passing resemblance to a mad scientist.

"I don't see why Hera tried so hard to kill you," Jason scowled, "Left alone, you'd probably do yourself in easily enough."

Percy looked embarrassed. "Maybe," he said. He turned his face back to the front, "Isn't this view beautiful?"

Jason didn't say anything, but he had to admit- if only in his own mind- that the view was beautiful. It was nothing but sky and sea, two clashing shades of blue meeting at one perfect meld. They were covered in a layer of sunshine, and puffy white clouds were their only companions.

Without noticing his own actions, Jason's arms loosened against Percy and slowly drew away. Then Blackjack chose to dive again.

It was a pity that Jason couldn't speak 'horse'. If he could, then he'd probably hear, somewhere in between his terror-stricken heart beat and choked-off scream, Percy scolding the pegasus. Then, he'd hear Blackjack replying that the Boss shouldn't be so ticked off since he was only trying to _help_.

Fortunately for Percy, Jason couldn't speak "horse". Fortunately for Jason, a trip to Manhattan on a speed-demon pegasus was very short in regards to time, and he only had to suffer for a little while longer before they reached their destination.

The blonde had never personally visited Olympus, but judging from Percy's expression, it was unusual to have the pegasus fly directly into the home of the Gods.

Olympus was… well, it was certainly a place that Jason could believe his Father ruled. Large, grand manors on fronts of cloud, winding cobblestones of pure silver, marbled statues of larger-than-life mythology… Jason's first description would have to involve the word 'ostentatious'.

"It was actually worse before the war with Kronos," Percy muttered lowly, "When Annabeth got the job to redesign the whole thing, she focused on 50% percent less statues and 250% less over-compensation."

A smile tugged on Jason's face."Annabeth seems to be very smart then."

The way Percy's face simply lit up at the name made Jason falter.

"She's absolutely brilliant," he whispered, voice brimming with pride, "Straight-up book smarts and street-wise slyness too. The craftiness she showed to convince the Olympians of her decisions made her seem more like the daughter of the Trickster God than a favored child of the Goddess of Wisdom."

"Why didn't you bring her here?" Jason asked, impulsively.

"She hates having to see Hera," Percy said matter-of-fact, and then grimaced, "Actually, I hate seeing Hera too." Then a grin stole across his face.

"Besides, I wanted to see how well you flew," he added, cheekily.

The sound of Blackjack's feet hitting the cobblestones cut short their conversation. The horse took a few more steps until he was standing in front of a large storefront, with posters of various metallic weapons on the front. The sign read, "_Hephaestus' Armoury and Metallurgy"_.

Percy easily swung off the pegasus, and offered a hand to Jason in order to help him down. Ignoring the hand- _who did Percy think he was, a daughter of Aphrodite?_- the blonde swung down with noticeably more grace than the other boy. The dark-haired hero shrugged and turned to thank their ride. Jason, mostly from a sense of politeness rather than thankfulness to the speed demon, gave a simple nod to the pegasus.

He ignored Percy and Blackjack's twin looks of surprise- _were manners that bad with the Greeks?_- and walked into the store. A small tinkle sound heralded their arrival and got the attention of the nymph in charge at the cashier.

"Hello, and welcome to Hephas…" she drew off as she caught sight of Percy entering, "Oh my Gods, your Percy Jackson!"

Percy looked startled, and then quickly, nervous. "...Yeah?" he replied, slowly.

The ash tree nymph, as denoted by the silvery-grey cast to her skin, giggled as though the son of Poseidon had said something extremely clever.

"You're the hero of Olympus!" she chattered, voice an odd mix of wind whistling through leaves and chiming bells, "I was so impressed by your bravery in the last war! Oh, my name's Tyche by the way. You know, like the Goddess of Fortune?"

As an experienced general of the Roman Army, Jason felt that it was his duty to be annoyed by such frivolity.

He looked at Percy, noting the fearful deer-in-headlights look on his face, and felt some of his anger dissipate into amusement. The older boy was trying- in vain- to pass off his achievements as a simple matter and turn the attention towards the materials that they had to purchase.

"Jason's a hero, too!" the dark-haired halfblood finally burst out, gesturing to the younger hero, "In fact, he was one of the main prophecy holders for Gaea-"

As Percy hurriedly continued to list his many accomplishments, Jason lost the final dregs of his annoyance. Then the boy looked at him, as though pleading for assistance, and Jason burst into laughter.

"Don't forget to add _your_ contributions against Gaea," he asserted, snickering.

The nymph looked at him inquisitively and Jason's smile grew wider. "It all started when…"


End file.
